Penn Quarter in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Site of Rhodes Tavern
1799 - 1984
Built in 1799, in the hope that the new capital would become a great city.
Opened as a tavern and inn by William Rhodes, 1801.
Washington's first 'town hall,' where White House architect James Hoban and other citizens met to petition Congress for representation and localy elected government, 1801.
Polling place in first city council election, 1802.
Early boarding house used by Members of Congress, 1807 - 1814.
Spared the torch during the British burning of Washington, 1814.
First home of the Bank of the Metropolis, 1814 - 1836, and of Riggs Bank, 1840 - 1845.
Washington Stock Exchange, 1881 - 1884.
National Press Club, 1909 - 1914; visited by Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howared Taft; and Woodrow Wilson.
Witness to every inaugural parade from Thomas Jefferson's in 1805 until Ronald Reagan's in 1981.
Ballot initiative to preserve the building approved by Washington citizens, 1983. Razed, 1984.
This marker placed by the Rhodes Tavern - D.C. Heritage Society, June 7, 1999, with the help of pennies collected by D.C. public school students.
Erected 1999 by Rhodes Tavern - D.C. Heritage Society, with the help of pennies collected by D.C. Public School students.
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Landmarks • War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #03 Thomas Jefferson, the Former U.S. Presidents: #26 Theodore Roosevelt, the Former U.S. Presidents: #27 William Howard Taft, the Former U.S. Presidents: #28 Woodrow Wilson, and the Former U.S. Presidents: #40 Ronald Reagan series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is June 7, 1767.
Location. 38° 53.85′ N, 77° 2.003′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in the Penn Quarter. Marker is at the intersection of F Street Northwest and 15th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling west on F Street Northwest. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 555 15th Street Northwest, Washington DC 20004, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rhodes Tavern (here, next to this marker); British Spare Rhodes Tavern, 1814 (here, next to this marker); Clara Barton 1821 - 1912 (a few steps from this marker); Millard and Linda Fuller (within shouting distance of this marker); Ernest K. Coulter 1871 - 1952 (within shouting distance of this marker); Booker T. Washington 1856 - 1915
More about this marker. . . . Oliver T. Carr purchased most of the block on which Rhodes Tavern sat in order to redevelop the area. By the time Carr purchased the tavern, it had ceased to resemble its original form, but many architects and historians saw merit in retaining the structure even with these changes because of its importance to the history of the District.
Located less than a block from the White House at 15 and F Sts NW, Carr planned to tear it down to build new offices and retail shops. A seven year protracted legal battle then began between preservationists trying to stop Carr from demolishing the building. An initiative was passed by the citizens of Washington to preserve the building in 1983, but Carr had the building razed one night in 1984. . . .
Extracted from http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/spec/ead/ms2084.xml.
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, July 13, 2008
3. F and 15th Streets, NW
Marker panels are visible on the wall at the corner, lower middle left. The U.S. Treasury Building is seen on the opposite side of 15th Street.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 4,677 times since then and 54 times this year. Last updated on January 9, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 21, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on July 28, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
